Kyuubichan
by Glory of Dawn
Summary: What if Kyuubi never attacked the village, and instead came 6 years later, enrolling as an academy student? NarutoxFemKyuubi DISCONTINUED. This story has been rebooted under the title Tsumeki-chan.
1. Prologue part 1: Meeting Kyuubi

**This is a little side project I decided to work on. I doubt I'll be getting any of my usual reviewers, since this is Naruto/Fem Kyuubi. Hope you enjoy and I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

"Hey Naruto!" Yelled Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage.

Naruto, a six-year old, ran into the room. "Yeah otou-san?"

"Your okaa-san and I have talked...and we have decided to put you in the Ninja Academy."

"Really?! Oh that's so cool! Thank you otou-san!" Naruto jumped up and hung from his otou-san's neck in a sort-of hug and a sort-of hang on for your life.

Minato laughed and unhooked Naruto from his neck. "I have to go to work now, be good for okaa-san, ok?"

"M'kay!"

Minato ruffled his son's hair and approached his wife, who was coming out of the kitchen in a fuzzy blue bathroom robe (I have a black one!) with a cup of coffee in her hand.

"See you tonight, dear," he said as he gave her a quick kiss.

"Have a good day," Said Kushina back.

Minato left the house and Kushina turned to her son. "So, how do you feel about pancakes?"

Naruto's eyes widened; he LOVED pancakes, almost as much as ramen!

Kushina giggled at her son and went back into the kitchen, making breakfast.

"okaa-san, after breakfast can we go to the park? Please?"

Kushina smiled at her son's eagerness. "Sure, Naruto."

"Yay!"

Naruto quickly devoured the two pancakes set in front of him and ran to the door. "C'mon okaa-san! Let's go!"

"Naruto, I still have to eat, and change! Just wait a few minutes."

Naruto pouted.

"Naruto, that won't work today."

"Fine..."

Kushina finished her food and went upstairs to change. When she came back down, the ex-waterfall jonin was pulled out the door by her six-year-old son.

* * *

When they got to the park, Naruto ran to the biggest tree he could find and began to scramble up it. He jumped from branch to branch, attempting to hang on and get to the top. Fortunately, he didn't fall.

Upon climbing up onto one branch, he saw a girl sitting there. She had flaming orange hair that turned red near the edges and two kitsune ears on her head. A single tail swished behind her. Her clothes were a mixture of light and dark greens, mostly light. Naruto made his way over to her.

"Hi!"

The girl started when he said that, then turned around. Naruto saw that she had red slitted eyes that glittered like rubies.

"Hi," she said, smiling at him.

"What's your name?"

"My name's Kyuubi! How about you?"

"I'm Namikaze Naruto!"

"Namikaze...I think I've heard that name before..."

"Yeah! My otou-san is the Hokage! You know, Namikaze Minato?"

Kyuubi's eyes widened for a moment, and she was about to speak when Naruto cut her off.

"Please don't call me Naruto-sama or anything like that, I hate that! I want to be known for me!"

Kyuubi smiled again. "That's good. I don't like people who think they are better than everyone else and they aren't."

"What if they are?"

"Do you think I'd be messing with them if they were?"

They both laughed. "You're funny!"

"Thank you!" (for some reason I like thank you more than arigatou. Oh well.)

Naruto looked at her for a moment. "You're really pretty, too."

This made Kyuubi blush a little. "Thanks..."

Naruto smiled. "Wanna be friends?"

"Sure!"

"Bet I can beat you to the top!"

"Bet you can't!"

They both started scrambling up the tree.

"So," Naruto grunted as he hoisted himself up a branch. "Where are you from? You can't be from here, 'cause you didn't recognize my name at first."

"I'm from Kirigakure, my okaa-san said that we were going to leave because there were bad people there who wanted to hurt us."

"Don't worry! I'll protect you from anyone who wants to hurt you! And that's a promise, believe it!"

Kyuubi giggled. "Thank you, Naruto! You're really nice!"

"No problem!"

"Hey Naruto, are you joining the Academy?"

"Yeah, I am! My first day is tomorrow, I think!"

"That's so cool! I'm joining too! Maybe we'll be in the same class!"

"That would be awesome!"

Kyuubi climbed up the final branch seconds before Naruto did.

"Wow Kyuubi, you're fast! No one has ever beaten me up the tree!"

Kyuubi smiled. "Being a kitsune youkai has its ups."

"You're a youkai? Cool!"

"Well duh, why do you think I have the ears?" she asked, twitching said ears for emphasis.  
"Uh...Whatever!"

Kyuubi smiled as they looked over Konoha.

"Kyuubi, can I touch your ears?"

She blinked. No one had ever asked to touch her ears before. "Sure, I guess..."

Naruto reached over and rubbed her ears with his index finger and thumb. "Wow, they're really soft!"

She didn't hear the comment, however, she was too busy purring because she liked the feeling of her ears being touched.

He chuckled before stopping. "I didn't know kitsunes purred."

"What? I wasn't purring!"

"Yes you were!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Do it again, I'll prove it!"

Naruto rubbed her ears again, and sure enough, she started to purr.

"See? Told you!"

"It's not purring!"

"What is it then?"

"It's...it's a happy growl!"

"Also known as a purr..."

"Well...shut up!"

Naruto started to laugh, he was having a lot of fun with Kyuubi. More fun than he had had with any of the other village kids, who always treated him with so much respect it made him sick.

Kyuubi giggled, then began to laugh herself. Back in her old village, no one wanted to play with her because she was a youkai. It made her happy to have a friend here. Naruto was incredibly sweet, and she had already smiled more today then she had in the past two years.

"Glad to see you two are having fun," said a voice from behind them.

They both started and turned around to see Kushina.

"Hi okaa-san!"

"Hello Namikaze-sama."

"Oh, you don't need to call me that. I'd much rather be called Kushina."

"Alright, Kushina-san."

"Better. So, who might you be?"

"My name is Kyuubi."

"Just Kyuubi?"

"Just Kyuubi."

"Well, there is a kitsune youkai down there. Might that be someone you know?"

Kyuubi nodded. "My okaa-san."

Kushina nodded. "Well, I think it's about time you two came down."

"But okaa-san-"

"You argued!" she said gleefully, before grabbing the boy and jumping down. Kyuubi giggled and began to jump down, from branch to branch.

Kushina dropped her son on his butt once she hit the ground. "Okaa-san..." he whined.

"You argued," she smiled.

Kyuubi dropped from the tree. Not far away was a woman that looked much like her.

"Okaa-san!"

The lady smiled and walked to the trio.

"Hello. I'm Ai, Kyuubi's mother. Who are you two?"

"I'm Namikaze Kushina, and this is my son, Naruto."

Ai smiled warmly at them. "I see you've made friends with Kyuubi; that's good. She needs a friend."

Naruto grinned and scratched the back of his head. "I like making friends, it's no problem."

"Well Kyuubi, we have to go home now."

"Awww..."

"You'll probably see Naruto at the Academy tomorrow. He looks like the type of boy that would want to go."

"Yeah, I'm going! I'm gonna be the best ninja ever!"

Kyuubi walked over to Naruto and gave him a hug. "Thanks for being my friend." She kissed his cheek. "Bye!" She said as she walked away with her mother.

Little did Naruto or Kyuubi know, both mothers were thinking of how cute a couple they would be when they were older...

* * *

**I am fully aware that this is short. I am skipping the academy, against my previous idea. Next chapter is my replacement for the Wave arc, and then the Chuunin exams. Please note that this is just one big prologue and the actual fic starts after the timeskip. There will be lots of fluff, and at least one lemon with limes scattered throughout the whole thing.**

**Review Please!**


	2. Prologue part 2: C rank mision

**Imagine my shock as I got up at 6 in the morning, having posted this at 9:30 the previous night, and saw my inbox flooded with reviews, favs, and alerts. Apparently all us Naru/femkyuu fans jump all over a new entry, ne? Thanks guys. My fanboy reading spree is over, as I ran out of Naru/femkyuu fics to read. I'd like it if you would point a good one out to me. I own only the story line. And please refrain from sending reviews in all caps. It is iru-tating (more on that later)**

**My apologies if I accidently call Naruto 'Uzumaki'. Force of Habit.**

* * *

(After graduating)

Even though Kyuubi had tried to help him with the Bunshin no Jutsu, Naruto had still failed it. But even though he failed, he managed to be fooled by Mizuki and learned the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, which he mastered due to his gigantic chakra reserves. Iruka had passed him for learning the technique.

Afterwards he promptly taught it to Kyuubi.

Now they sat in their old classroom, waiting to be assigned teams. Naruto and Kyuubi were anxious. They were best friends, and hoped they'd make the same team.

"Naruto-kun, what if we don't get put on the same team?"

"We will, don't worry."

"But what if we don't?"

"I told you, we will."

"But-"

"Kyuubi-chan," Naruto said sternly, looking her in the eye. "Everything will be fine. Don't worry."

She sighed. "Yeah, I just...we work so well together, and..." she growled at her lack of ability to express herself. (Been there, done that, got the T-shirt...)

Naruto smiled. "I know what you mean. That's why I'm sure we'll be put on the same team."

Kyuubi smiled as well.

Iruka called for everyone to pay attention. Naruto and Kyuubi were among the eager few who dead. Unnoticed by either of the two, Kyuubi currently had Naruto's hand in a death grip.

Iruka, getting iru-tated (pun intended), yelled, "SHUT UP AND LISTEN!"

That got the attention of most everyone.

he began to list off teams. A loudmouth dog lover named Kiba, a quiet boy named Shino, and a shy girl named Hinata were placed on one team. On another team were a lazy boy, Shikamaru, a fat kid named Chouji, and a cocky blonde named Ino.

"Team Seven...Namikaze Naruto..." Kyuubi smiled faintly. "Uchiha Sasuke..." Now she frowned. There were still seven others, including her. She might not... "and Kitsune Kyuubi." (She had taken on that name for registration reasons)

Kyuubi squealed and hugged Naruto warmly. Naruto laughed and hugged back, spinning her around as well. When he put her down, their faces were inches apart. With a light blush, they both sat back down. They were so happy even having the resident emo on their team didn't depress them.

Where was the annoying pinkie during this whole time, you may ask? While she had gotten the highest scores on most, her taijustu skills were far too low, accompanied by her lack of jutsu to make up for it, and she was held back.

The other Genin slowly disappeared as their Jounin senseis arrived. Soon, team 7 was the only team left in the room.

Kyuubi growled irritably. "Where IS he?"

Naruto sighed. "I think I know who 'he' is."

"who?"

"Hatake Kakashi. Always notably late." Naruto grinned. "And that trait is about to get him in trouble." Naruto took an eraser and put it above the partially open door.

"Naruto-kun! I expected more of you!" she scolded.

Naruto grinned even more. "But I don't have any proper materials!"

Kyuubi giggled and pulled a bag out from under a desk. "A good ninja always comes prepared!"

She took down the eraser in favor of a bucket of paint. After a moment of thought, she added hot water and expired sardines.

As she sat back down, Kakashi opened the door and was assaulted by two buckets and sardines. His cloths soaking, colored red, and smelling horrible, he looked at the genin. "My first impression...I don't like you guys. Meet on the roof."

Naruto laughed and high-fived his best friend. "Awesome job, Kyuubi-chan!"

"Why, thank you. It takes a lady of true genius to figure something as that out," she said, sounding sophisticated.

Sasuke walked out of the room, rolling his eyes. "Idiots."

Out of sight, Sasuke gulped at the amount of killer intent coming out of the room and decided it was best to high-tail it to the roof.

* * *

"Alright," said Kakashi. "Let's introduce ourselves, starting with your name, hobbies, likes and dislikes, and dreams for the future."

"Why don't you start sensei?" asked Kyuubi.

"Alright. My name is Kakashi, I have a lot of hobbies. Likes and dislikes... Dreams for the future? I don't feel like telling you."

Kyuubi and Naruto sweatdropped._ We didn't learn anything!_ They thought.

Kakashi gestured at Naruto. "You next."

"I'm Namikaze Naruto. My hobbies are eating ramen, training, hanging out with Kyuubi-chan, pulling pranks, and trying to beat otou-san in sparring. My likes are ramen, Kyuubi-chan (he means as a friend) and spending time with my family. My dislikes are stuck up people, the three minute wait for instant ramen, and people who pick on those who can't do anything about it. I have two..err...my dream for the future is to become the best Hokage ever!" He said, with a light blush on his face.

While Kyuubi was wondering what he was about to say, she realized Kakashi had told her to go.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Kitsune Kyuubi. My hobbies are training, living up to my kitsune nature, hanging out with Naruto-kun, and getting my butt whooped by him in sparring."

"Not my fault I can make millions of Kage Bunshins without breaking a sweat!"

"Whatever. My Likes are training and Naruto-kun (again, as a friend), and my dislikes are pretty much the same as his...except for the ramen part. My dreams for the future are to gain all nine of my tails and...that's about it," she said, also blushing.

"Alright, now you."

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I don't like much and I dislike more. My dream, no, my ambition, is to kill someone and rebuild my clan."

"Right...anyways, meet at the training field tomorrow (can't remember which it was) for survival training. Oh, and don't eat breakfast. You'll puke." He disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

"Your mission is to get these bells from me before noon. Whoever doesn't get a bell is sent back to the Academy and has to watch me eat lunch right in front of them." Kakashi started the timer. "Go."

The three ninja bolted, but two of them met right back up.

"What's the plan?" asked Kyuubi.

"I think Sasuke is going to try to take him head on, so we'll try a sneak attack. I'll go out with a bunch of Kage Bunshins and distract him after he deals with Sasuke and you sneek in using your kitsune illusions and steal the bells. That way we pass."

"Brilliant plan, Naruto-kun! But what about Sasuke?"

Naruto grimaced. "I don't know. There's some hidden meaning behind this, but I don't know what it is."

Kyuubi sighed and hugged him. "It's okay. We'll figure something out."

The two ninjas ran towards where Kakashi and, presumably Sasuke, was.

When they saw Sasuke the first thing they noticed was that his head was sticking out of the ground. Naruto created a mass of Kage Bunshins and charged Kakashi. Kyuubi created an illusion around her and approached Kakashi under the guise of a butterfly. She swooped in and swiped the bells, startling Kakashi. Naruto smirked as he dispelled his bunshins and Sasuke stared, wide-eyed. Kyuubi tossed a bell to Naruto.

* * *

"Now, I'll be right back. You two eat your food in front of Sasuke, and don't give him ANY." Kakashi left.

Naruto immediately tossed his food at Sasuke. "Okaa-san wouldn't let me leave without eating a huge breakfast."

Kyuubi tossed her food to him as well. "His okaa-san wouldn't let me leave without eating a huge breakfast," she said, giggling. Then she untied him. Sasuke looked at the two strangely before beginning to eat.

"WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!" Yelled Kakashi.

Kyuubi put her hands over her ears and whimpered from the loud noise.

"Not to give Sasuke our food?" asked Naruto as he made sure Kyuub was alright.

"But you did anyway."

"He needed to eat, we didn't."

"Exactly. You pass."

"Huh?" asked Kyuubi, not exactly comprehending.

"Those who break the rules are scum, but those who leave their teammates behind are worse than scum. Meet here same time tomorrow for your first mission."

* * *

(A few weeks later)

D-rank mission. The bane of Naruto's existence. Chores people were too lazy to do themselves. Kyuubi didn't seem to mind some of them, like the gardening ones, but she was a girl. That was kind of expected. (These do not express my beliefs)

"Come on! We have been doing these stupid D-ranks for the best three weeks! We're ready for something better! "

Kyuubi, unbeknownst to Naruto, was irritated as well. She iked gardening, but that was about it. "I agree with Naruto-kun! We're ready!"

Sasuke stayed to himself, as usual.

The Hokage sighed. "Fine. We'll give you a C rank."

"YATTA!" yelled Naruto and Kyuubi, the latter hugging the former before quickly pulling away.

"You have to escort a merchant caravan to Suna. It shouldn't take more than five days, and three to get back. The highest threat on this mission is bandits. The caravan is at the gate, waiting."

Team 7 ran back to their respective houses to pack. After that, they met up with the caravan at the gate.

* * *

(In the Land of Wind)

The mission had been uneventful so far. They were no more than a day and a half to Suna. Naruto and Kyuubi had been sticking together and talking throughout the trip, and Sasuke was brooding, as usual.

"Hey, you, blondie!" yelled one of the wagon drivers.

Naruto jogged up. "Yeah?"

"What's that?" he asked, pointing at something.

Naruto squinted his eyes and saw a bunch of strange lumps on the ground, all in grey. "I don't know..."

All of a sudden, most of them got up. They were people, bandits to be precise. They charged the Caravan and began to attack the animals. Team 7 quickly responded. Sasuke began to belch fire with his Katon:Goukyakku no Jutsu. Naruto and Kyuubi used the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and charged them. Kakashi was holding them off around the front.

A big, lumbering one came towards the two friends. He began to smash bunshins with a boulder he was holding. Naruto pegged him as the immediate threat and charged with his remaining bunshins. The boulder swooped from the side, like a bat, and dispelled most of the clones, also knocking the real Naruto unconscious.

"Naruto-kun!" yelled Kyuubi. She got REALLY pissed. Charging the man, she dodged the boulder and pounced on him before beginning to claw him up, eventually ripping his esophagus out. She had been in such a feral rage at the thought of Naruto being badly hurt she didn't fully realize what she was doing, and was horrified as she looked upon the hollow tube in her hand, which was now soaked in blood not her own.

The fighting stopped, and Naruto began to stir. As Kakashi was checking on the caravan, Naruto saw Kyuubi looking at something, terrified. He walked over to her and realized what it was.

When he did, he hugged her so she knew everything was going to be all right. "You did what you had to do; he might have killed on of us.

Kyuubi dropped it and began to sob in Naruto's shirt. She obviously wasn't taking the nature of her first kill well.

The mission was a success, though Kyuubi was emotionally unstable for the net few days.

* * *

**I just want to give you this story's stats real quick. 13 reviews, 567 hits, 1 C2, 8 favs and 18 alerts. Wow. I feel so appreciated! Thanks for liking it! Sorry if this was unsatisfying, I couldn't come up with much more. Review please!**


	3. Prologue Part 3: Chuunin Exams

**50 ALERTS! W00T! I feel so happy! I have never before had a fic with that many alerts. This is no longer side project, it is now my MAIN! I don't own Naruto. (Hides from raging imouto-chan)**

**Oh, and my cousin, Follower of Light, wrote a nice Horror/action Halo/Naruto/Dead Rising crossover called The Beginning**.** Though it is Naruhina, it only has minor romance and is quite good. (Later on anyways...)**

* * *

"Ugh, what does Kakashi-sensei want?" grumbled Naruto.

"I don't know," said Kyuubi. "I just wish he could be on time for once."

Almost on cue, Kakashi appeared with a few forms in his hand. "I recommended you guys for the Chuunin exams. Just fill out these forms and report to room 301 tomorrow." Kakashi handed a form to each of them. Sasuke smirked at a chance to prove his power, whereas Naruto was thinking he was one step closer to becoming Hokage. Kyuubi smiled, revealing her fangs; surely passing the exams would earn her her fourth tail. Even though she had three, she only held one revealed; it was, in her opinion, much more attractive and also less of a hassle. Keeping three tails in shiningly perfect condition was, as Shikamaru might say, much too troublesome.

"Wow! Thanks, sensei!" said Naruto, excited.

Kakashi smiled under his mask, his visible eye becoming an upside-down 'U'. "Ja ne, then." He disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Naruto and Kyuubi grinned at each other in excitement. Backing each other up, there was no way they could possibly lose!

* * *

Naruto and Kyuubi were walking in the direction of her house to deliver the good news to her parents, when they sensed something behind them.

"Konohamaru," said Naruto. "Stop messing around."

"Sharp as ever, I see, boss!" there was an explosion behind them, and then some coughing. "I think we used too much gunpowder..."

Naruto watched with disinterest as Kono and his group did their introductions.

"What do you want?" He asked blandly.

"Naruto-kun, be quiet! they're cute!"

"Hey boss, is that your girlfriend?"

Naruto had a healthy red blush on his face. "W-what? No, she's just a friend!"

Kyuubi kept smiling, even though her heart cracked in half at the statement.

"Whatever you say, boss..."

* * *

(the next day)

Team 7 walked together towards room 301. When they got there, there were two people guarding the door. They wouldn't let anyone in on the pretenses of 'you're not experienced enough' or some BS like that. Kyuubi looked at the room sign, disinterested. "Pathetic genjutsu. Is that honestly supposed to fool a kitsune? I expected more out two_ Chuunin_." She dispelled the genjutsu on the sign as well as the henges the two were using, revealing them to be about Iruka's age.

"I'm honestly surprised any of you saw through that," said one of them.

Naruto laughed. "Kyuubi-chan can create a genjutsu that will kick your ASS without breaking a sweat!"

Kyuubi smiled. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

Sasuke ground his teeth. She had noticed it before him, and he was an UCHIHA! 

Kyuubi knew she was irking Sasuke, and she was enjoying it. The kid had a pole shoved up in an unpleasant place. Sure, he had lost his family, but he had EVERYTHING else he could ever want. Kyuubi began to get angry, remembering her old home, and how she was treated. But then she thought of Naruto. Immediately she calmed, thinking of her Naruto-kun...

Wait. Her Naruto-kun?

"Kyuubi-chan, let's go! We need to get to the room, the exams are starting soon!"

She snapped out of her reverie. "Right!"

They ran off, leaving Sasuke to eat their dust.

* * *

As the proctor, a scarred man named Ibiki, explained the rules of the test, Naruto panicked, looking over his test. _I don't know any of these!_ He took a deep breath. _Okay Naruto, calm down. Get caught cheating three times and your entire team is out. Okay, that's not good. I have no subtle jutsu. I could... that's a good idea! But wait...No, the clone wouldn't move fast enough, they'd see him! _As Naruto attempted a strategy, he didn't realize the test started.

"Hi Naruto-kun!" said Kyuubi. "Don't talk, I am under a kitsune illusion. I can't get it to affect you. Need help with the answers?"

Naruto chewed on the end of his pencil, pretending to think as he slowly nodded his head.

She put one of the proctors' clipboards on his desk. "He thinks he still has it," she giggled. Naruto subtly copied the answers and then wrote 'thanks' on his paper before erasing it.

"No problem! A third tail illusion is stronger than high level genjustu." Kyuubi felt one of the proctors gathering chakra. She swiftly gave him his clipboard back and sat back down just in time as she heard him mutter, "Kai."

Nothing happened. Sure, they may have been able to knock the illusion off, but she was already back in her seat, so no one could prove it was her, only suspect.

She grinned sadistically. _Now, _she thought, _to weed out the competition. _Until the final question, she made it look like people were cheating so that they got thrown out.

Apparently, the final question had a few rules. If they got it wrong, they could never take the exam again. Lots of people left. Those who stayed found that they passed because they stayed.

While the reason for this was being explained, a woman with purple hair and...VERY...revealing clothing crashed through the window, accompanied by a black banner.

"All right Maggots! I'm Anko, and I'm the proctor for the next exam!" she looked over the remaining Genin. "Seventy eight? You left twenty six teams?!"

"Maybe they got lucky...or maybe there is some talent this year."

"Regardless," she said, licking her lips, "I'll cut their numbers at least in half in the next exam!"

* * *

They arrived at the staging area of the next exam, the Forest of Death. Anko went through the rules, which were few, as wavers were passed out. Apparently, people would most likely die in this exam, and if the wavers weren't signed, she'd be responsible.

After a team turned in all their wavers, they were given either a heaven or an Earth scroll. To pass, a team must reach the tower with both a heaven and earth scroll within five days.

Naruto, Kyuubi, and Sasuke turned in their forms and got a Heaven scroll. The proceeded to their gate and waited for the exam to start.

As the gate opened, Team 7 dashed inside. The ran for a few minutes before Naruto called for a halt in a clearing.

"I gotta take a leak, sorry!" he said as he ran into the bushes. Kyuubi rolled her eyes as Sasuke brooded, as usual.

A minute later, Naruto came out of the bushes to be met by a kunai from Kyuubi.

"Idiot. Henges don't work on Kitsunes. We practically invented genjutsu. That and the fact that we have superior smell, and also that I heard you jump Naruto-kun a second ago..." Kyuubi growled. This man, nay, this fool DARED attack HER Naruto-kun?!

There it was again. Her Naruto-kun.

Not bothering to think on it, She blocked a punch coming from 'Naruto'.

"Bad idea." Kyuubi made a quick series of handsigns. "Kitsune Style: Rending Fire Claws!" Her claws were sheathed in fire as she raked them across the man's chest. Why bother with Foxfire, when normal fire was oh-so-much more painful? Besides, she didn't have much of an affinity for it anyways.

The genin reeled back in pain, screaming, before he was silenced by a double-fisted hit from Naruto.

Sasuke knew something had been up, but he figured that he shouldn't do anything about it...after all, that would be denying Kyuubi her revenge.

He thought he finally figured out where the phrase 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned' came from...

Naruto looked upon the unconscious genin and decided they needed a plan.

"We should have some way to distinguish from one another, so that no one else can do this..." he said. "Like a password."

"I have a better idea," said Sasuke, for the first time actually contributing. "Kyuubi can make illusions, right? So would it be possible to mark each other so that only we could tell?"

Sasuke did a bad job of explaining his idea, but Kyuubi knew what he was talking about. "Yeah, I can do that." Her tail glowed with red chakra for a moment before going back to normal.

Naruto blinked. He could sense Kyuubi and Sasuke. Sure he could see them, but this... he just somehow, in the back of his mind, knew beyond a doubt it was them, and that it couldn't be someone else.

(I despise the forest of death, and am going to skip most of it. But Sasuke does get marked by Orochi-bastar, I mean, Orochimaru.)

* * *

They had to hold a preliminary to the third round. there was still too many people. Naruto stood with his squad amongst all the others as his Dad gave a speech about the Chuunin exams.

A sickly looking man named Gekkou Hayate stepped forward and announced that anyone who wished to quit must do so now. Kabuto backed off, much to Naruto's confusion.

**Battle one: Uchiha Sasuke vs. Akamichi Chouji**

This battle was one sided; Chouji used his Meat Tank jutsu to try to roll over Sasuke, but Sasuke drove him away with low powered fireballs. Chouji couldn't find an opening until Sasuke opened one up. Chouji rolled in, and was blasted by a high powered fireball. Sasuke was declared the winner.

**Match two: Nara Shikamaru vs. Tsuchi Kin**

Kin attempted to use senbon and sound jutsu to fool Shikamaru, but he ended up using his Kagemane no Jutsu to knock her out by bashing her head into a wall. Shikamaru was declared the winner.

(I wanted to do all the battles but then I realized: I didn't remember half the people. So I'll do the biggie, and everything else either went the same as the anime or, whatever. Neji vs. Hinata the same.)

**Match (?): Kitsune Kyuubi vs. Rock Lee**

"Yosh!" Yelled Lee. "I am fortunate to get such a youthful opponent as Kyuubi-chan!" Naruto's skin bristled and he almost growled when Lee called her -chan.

Lee jumped down into the arena with Kyuubi and prepared to fight.

Hayate called for the match to begin, and Kyuubi immediately probed Lee's defenses.

_I can match his speed, just have to pump chakra into my legs. But not his brute strength; no, I need to hit him with illusions and sneak attacks, and use his own power against him. _

She made an illusion of herself, while concealing the real her. The fake charged towards Lee and attacked, but Lee attacked first. The look of surprise on his face when his leg passed right through it was priceless.

_I didn't see any hand signs! So this must be a Kitsune Illusion...yosh! How youthful!_

Kyuubi made ten Kage bunshins and mixed them in with illusions while rushing in herself. Lee was hopelessly confused as what to block and what not to.

Eventually, he came up with a simple solution. "Leaf Hurricane!" he yelled as he dispelled all the bunshins in a flurry of kicks.

Kyuubi had expected this, so had made one less illusion. Lee ignored the rest, looking for the real Kyuubi. She caught him by surprise with a right hook to the face and sent him spiraling.

That's when Lee decided that he could not beat Kyuubi without greater speed. But the only ways to get the speed were...

"Take them off, Lee!" said Gai.

"But...Gai-sensei, you said only to take them off if someone very important was in danger!"

"That's right, I did! But this is an exception!"

Lee's face brightened with excitement as he pulled up his leg warmers to reveal weights. He dropped them, each making a sizable imprint for only having dropped about four or five feet.

Lee's speed increased tenfold. Kyuubi grinned sadistically. She pumped more chakra into her legs and used Lee's momentum and power, as well as her own, to repeatedly smash him against the arena walls and throw him.

Lee was beat up. He knew that there was but one way to win...

He opened the first three chakra gates.

Kyuubi saw this and became thrilled. If she beat Lee, she would surely get her fourth tail! She was worried about her physical safety, and to compensate for the difference in power and speed, used her full potential as a three tailed Kitsune. She was able to meet Lee punch for punch, kick for kick. This battle was a stalemate, through and through. Neither gained ground and neither lost it. They both stopped and touched the ground to catch their breath, for they indeed had been fighting in mid-air.

As one, they fell down unconscious from exhaustion.

It was declared a draw.

To those who were paying attention, Kyuubi seemed to become a little more powerful...

* * *

**I was originally going to have Orochimaru jack up Naruto's chakra network, but decided against it. So the timeskip is now simply going to be Minato teaching Naruto a lot of what he knows. Please review!**

**I just realized; Kyuubi fought Lee. Kyuubi replaced Sakura.**

**Ino fought Gaara, LOL. She prolly forfeited XD**

**Oh, and Naruto vs. Kiba as usual. Though it was less dumb luck that Naruto won. **


	4. Chapter 1: The admittance of love

**Hey. I know a lot of you were looking forward to the third part of the Chuunin exams, but my brain decided it was overworked and under payed and bailed on me. So, everything went pretty much the same (only diff would be Naruto's fight and the battle between him and Gaara, and the Orochimaru vs. Minato fight) and, while I could make a chapter out of that, it would be too troublesome. So, I present you with...chapter 1. I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Two blonde-haired figures stood at the edge of a great forest, looking upon it with fondness. One was formerly the Yondaime Hokage, but had been incapacitated in a fight with Orochimaru, and was now simply Namikaze Minato, Jounin of the Hidden Leaf Village. Oh, and who could possibly forget his nickname 'Konoha's Yellow Flash'? He wore a jounin's vest and black clothing, in stark contrast with his blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes.

The other was none other than Namikaze Naruto, eager to return home after having been taught most everything his father knew over the past three years.

Over the training, Naruto's dreams were plagued by a flame-haired goddess. Said goddess was his first and best friend, Kitsune Kyuubi. Every time he dreamed of her...well, here...

_(Naruto's Dream)_

_He walked onto the top of the hill and looked out over the glittering ocean, a warm bluish-red thanks to the setting sun. He lay down and watched the sky, the sea. The next thing he knew, it was nighttime. The stars shone beautifully in the sky, not plagued by a single cloud, with a full moon as an unblinking eye, casting light over the would-be dark landscape._

_Naruto heard the shuffle of footsteps through grass, and smiled, for he knew who was to come. Kyuubi lay down next to him and smiled prettily. _

_Nay, that word was too little to describe her, the very essence of perfection. Her adorable ears, twitching at every sound they detected, her ruby-like eyes shining down on him like the stars above, as if he was bathed in a warm red glow from which he never wished release. Her long, elegant tail, slim enough to multiply her physical attractiveness yet strong enough to be used with deadly force. The fire-red hair that, had she been standing, would tumble down to her mid-back. Long legs, which he knew that, under her garments, were unblemished and beautiful in their pale glory. Her flat stomach, her perfect breasts, her magnificent fangs..._

_All of this and more was Kyuubi, a being beyond perfection that words could not describe._

_Naruto smiled back, welcoming her presence. She scooted closer to him and snuggled into his chest, relishing the feeling of warmth that poured over her. Naruto wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer to him. She wrapped both her arms around him, enveloping him in a hug. He quickly responded._

_Kyuubi pulled her head out of his chest and looked him in the eye. Naruto understood for what she longed, and leaned his head in to cover the distance between him and her luscious lips. _

_The taste of Kyuubi was something that could be explained by no man, and if he had it his way, no other man would ever get the chance to compare it. _

* * *

That was the first dream. Every week or so, her clothing was a little more revealing in one area, until that clothing was no longer there. At the same time, their actions became more and more intense and passionate. It came to the point where Naruto no longer was watching the sun set, and was slammed right into the act.

Having thought about this, Naruto became impatient. "That's it, otou-san! I'm going now!" Naruto took off at an incredible speed. Minato simply chuckled and walked, not going to rush, intending to savor the moment.

* * *

Kyuubi was excited today. Why, you ask? One Namikaze Naruto was coming back to the village...and she intended to be the first to greet him, namely by glomping him. She sped out of the village, hoping he was just as eager to see her as she was him. She stopped at the clearing she knew he would pass through to get home. A black blob flew over the clearing, and then went back to in front of her.

Before her stood Naruto, clad in black pants, a black, sleeveless shirt, his headband now black as well, black sandles, black fingerless gloves, and finally gray bracers that went up his forearm. She had to keep herself from doing something quite foolish, such as finding out how those muscles would feel under her lips, or her tongue, or maybe on...

Fighting down a blush, she glomped him. "Naruto-kun!" Unlike when they were younger, her glomp could no longer knock him down. He simply enveloped her in a hug, inhaling her scent in through his nose.

_She looks just like she did in my dream..._

_I wonder if he dreamt of me as much as I did of him..._

They both unknowingly shared a thought. _Does he/she like me...more than a friend?_

"I missed you," she said.

"I missed you too, Kyuubi-chan." _More than you know._

The moment turned bitter when two men clad in black cloaks with red clouds entered the clearing.

One had Sharingan eyes, Uchiha Itachi. The other had blue skin and a large sword on his back, Hoshigake (?) Kisame.

Naruto hid Kyuubi behind his body, towering almost half a foot above her at an outstanding 6'4'' with her at 5'10''.

"Leave now and I'll spare you your lives," warned Naruto.

Kisame laughed. "You honestly think you can beat us, gaki?! Don't fool yourself!"

"I warned you," he said. A scroll leapt into his hand from a cargo pocket on his pants. He unraveled it and out came an elegant black katana, with the phrase 'Kaze no Ha' etched on the sheath. With speed unparalleled, the sheath was strapped to his back and the blade in his hand. He idly swung it around, and then slashed it in a swift diagonal cut. A blade of wind leapt from the sword and rushed towards the two Akatsuki (?) agents. Their eyes widened in surprise. Itachi leapt out of the way, but Kisame smirked and tried to block with his own blade. He gasped as it was sliced in half and he was flung back.

"Blade of Wind...fitting name for my sword, don't you think? It makes a blade not out of chakra, but wind. That's why Samehada couldn't block it," Naruto mused. Naruto dashed forward, intent on permanently silencing Kisame, when he heard multiple pairs of feet shuffling behind him. He turned around to see Itachi standing still while a kage bunshin charged Kyuubi with a blade. Naruto knew that under normal circumstances she could defend herself, but he knew exactly what Itachi was planning. And what was worse, it would be near lethal, but Kyuubi would recover...in time for Akatsuki to do what they needed with her.

Naruto dropped Kaze no Ha as he charged towards Kyuubi. Without thinking, he rammed his shoulder into her, flinging her away, as a sword sprouted out of his back and the kage bunshin exploded.  
Itachi frowned. He hadn't suspected the boy would take that hit for her.

Another entry into the clearing heralded Minato. The two Akatsuki agents decided to cut their losses and run.

Kyuubi ran to Naruto and knelt down, tears streaming down her face. "Naruto-kun...why did you do that?"

Naruto smiled weakly. "Don't worry! I'll protect you from anyone who wants to hurt you! And that's a promise, believe it!"

Kyuubi's eyes widened; he had said that exact same thing when they first met, almost ten years ago now... "Naruto-kun, you...you didn't...you were six years old! Did you really think I would hold you to that?"

"And that's a promise, believe it..." he said. "Kyuubi-chan, I-" he choked on blood before spitting it out. "I..." he passed into unconsciousness.

* * *

The air was stale and smelled of blood and sickness. Naruto had no idea how he knew that it smelled of sickness, but he did. He still lacked the strength to fully open his eyes, but he knew he was in the hospital. He heard someone begin to talk, but couldn't focus on it as he lost his grip on reality and fell into the world of dreams once more...

* * *

"He's going to hate me..." she whispered to herself, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Why would he hate you?" asked Kushina, entering the room to see her son.

"Because I turned him into a hanyou! That's worse than being a youkai, he's going to, to be feared! And hated!"

"Then why did you do it?"

"Because I couldn't stand the thought of him dying..."

"Why didn't you let the medic-nin take care of him?"

"Because...I, I didn't know if they'd be able to fix him...I knew I could, with this..."

"Why?" she asked again.

"Because I love him!"

Kushina smiled and patted her son on the head before leaving.

Kyuubi sadly looked at Naruto, before getting up to do the same.

"Kyuubi-chan..."

She turned around, only to see he was still asleep. Sleeptalking.

"Kyuubi-chan, where are you going?" he mumbled.

Kyuubi continued to look at him.

"Don't leave, Kyuubi-chan!" he began to move his hands around, as if looking for something... "Don't leave me! I..." his words trailed off, but he continued to grope around.

Kyuubi took a step forward, and he began to speak again.

"Don't leave! I could never hate you!"

Her heart lifted a little. She kneeled by his bed. "I'm here, Naruto-kun."

"Kyuubi-chan, where did you go? Come back!"

"Naruto-kun, I'm right here!"

Tears began to leak from his eyes. "Why did you leave me, Kyuubi-chan? What did I do?"

Kyuubi began to cry as well. "Naruto-kun, I'm right here!" she yelled at him.

"Why, what, why? I did nothing but protect you, why did you leave?"

"Naruto-kun, stop it! You're breaking my heart..."

"Kyuubi-chan, why did you leave? I love you...what did I do?"

Her heart stopped. She didn't know if this was a feverish dream or if he was speaking truly. She felt his forehead, and his temperature was normal.

Her heart started hammering in her chest.

Kyuubi knew how to end his nightmare; she crawled onto the hospital bed and maneuvered into his arms. They tightened around her.

"Kyuubi-chan, don't leave me again...please...I love you..."

She snuggled into his chest. "Never again, Naruto-kun. I am yours...forever..."

* * *

**Short chapter, I know. Sorry. but I felt as if writing any more would break the mood, so I stopped. Hope you liked it, please review.**


	5. Oops! AN

**This is just to fill in the blank. I deleted chappy 5 (as most of you should have found out by now), but your reviews are still there. **

**And yes, this does mean I am working on the next chappy! It's not how the old one went at all, so you all better read it XD**


	6. Chapter 2: Devark and Lasha

**FINALLY! the next chappy has arrived! Sorry I didn't get around to this sooner, but i've been...busy would be a lie. No excuses, then. Here ya go!**

**I don't own naruto.**

* * *

(Three weeks later)

"An A rank?" asked a four-tailed Naruto skeptically.

"Yes, an A rank. You will meet the client on the road out of the East Gate. He didn't specify where he'd be or what he needed. He only said that it was probably the most important thing he'd ever done. Think you can handle this?"

The two nodded.

"Good. The mission starts in thirty minutes. Gather what you need and report to the East gate."

* * *

They departed from the Leaf village in high spirits. The forest was alive as they strode down the path. A fox kit dashed from the underbrush and scampered up Kyuubi, coming to rest on her shoulder. She laughed beautifully and pet it.

Naruto smiled, looking at his girlfriend of three weeks. She seemed so at peace whenever she was outside the village. He made a mental note that if and when they got married, the house he built would be outside of the wall.

"Naruto?"

her voice brought him back from the future. "Hm? what?"

She laughed again. "You're staring."

Naruto's right ear twitched. "I was? Sorry."

They continued on in silence, taking in the surroundings, for most of the rest of the day. And then, they heard something.

A man in full plate armor with a helmet in the likeness of a lion's head with an open mouth was running down the path --running at ninja speed-- with a large sword in hand. An angry face stared out. He constantly looked from left to right.

All of a sudden, he dove into the brush. A howl of pain was heard and a wolf's carcass flew over the path.

The man came out, sword on his back, carrying a girl who looked about fifteen. Tears were streaming down her face.

Kyuubi's maternal instincts took over. She ran over to the girl, but the man took a few steps back and held his two-hander sword out with one hand, holding the young woman in the other.

"One more step and your head meets the dirt."

Kyuubi stopped, but Naruto was beyond angry at the threat. He charged forward.

The girl started crying louder, and the sword dropped to the ground as the man focused on his charge.

"D-Devark..." she whimpered. "I don't want to see any more blood. Please, Devark!"

"Okay, don't worry, it's going to be fine."

She quieted down a bit. The man looked up untrustingly at the two VERY confused people before him.

"Don't try anything. She doesn't want to see blood, so it would be that much more painful."

Kyuubi held up her hands. "Hey, all I wanted to do was help. You're the one who wanted to kill someone."

"I'm only doing my job. This is likely the most important thing I've ever done and ever will do."

That rung a bell.

"Wait," said Naruto, "does that mean that you are the one who asked for the mission?"

Devark nodded skeptically. "Yes, I did ask for a mission. How do I know that you are the ones sent?"

Naruto and Kyuubi looked at each other. "our headbands?" Suggested Kyuubi.

"Could be stolen."

"Well then you're going to have to trust us, aren't you?" smirked Naruto.

"I suppose I am. But know this, if one other soul hears of this, I WILL kill you."

He sounded very serious. After affirmation that they would not tell, he took off his helmet.

The man, who was only a few years older than Naruto at most, had striking sandy blonde hair and a well sculpted face. His skin was tanned. (A/N Basically a blonde Latino, without the accent)

"I am Devark Lionslayer, the personal bodyguard of Her Highness the Princess." Devark lifted his right arm slightly, which had the blushing woman cradled in it. "Princess Lasha is the last of the Royal Line of our country, beyond the borders of these nations. Her father, His Higness the King, may he rest in peace, and her mother, Her Highness the Queen, may she rest in peace, were killed in an assault on the castle. Her brother, His Highness the Prince, has not yet been discovered. He led a campaign on the front lines, and I have had no word of he or his men. My request is this: That you would take me into your Village as one of the military, so that I might aid you, so that one day you may aid me in taking the Castle back. I also ask that Her Highness the Princess be trained in the martial arts—all I know is my blade."

Kyuubi and Naruto looked at each other nervously. "Well..." began Kyuubi.

"We can't gurantee that we can do that," finished Naruto.

"Why is that?"

"You would need to meet with the Hokage, the leader of our village."

"Can you take me to your Hokage?"

Kyuubi nodded. "Come on, we'd best start off now."

Devark looked up and studied the sky. "It will be dark enough soon. We'd best sleep, up in a tree preferably."

"Why?"

"I'm being followed by beasts of shadow. They can't jump very high."  
This visibly disturbed the two from Konoha. They complied and climbed into the tallest tree they could find. Devark asked that Lasha get onto his back. She did, and he scurried up a particularly thick tree.  
(Later that night)  
Naruto awoke with a start. This caused a growling sound from below, which caused Devark to wake as well. He looked down and frowned.  
"Zekia protect me! FOR TRELIEF!" There was a loud thump, followed by growling and sounds of meat being rended and teared. Lasha screamed and hugged the tree. Kyuubi jumped over to her and did her best to comfort her, and Naruto jumped down from the tree.  
What he saw was slightly terrifying. They were wolves, but thrice the normal size, and with fur the color of pitch. Glowing runes were on their forehead, back, hips, and shoulders. One snarled at him, revealing blood red teeth. The smell of the dead was carried to his nose by its breath. After a quick head count, Naruto determined five still standing and three dead. Devark, his helmet crushed in the jaws of a fallen beast, was taking on three. The final two came for Naruto.  
One was cut by Naruto's sword emerging from its sheath. The cut mended itself instantly.  
"Devark, how do I kill these things?" came his alarmed cry.  
"The heart! Cut out their heart and slice it in half!"  
_I don't like the way he specified slicing it in half.  
_Naruto glanced at the dead ones as he jumped back, noticing how they were all cut in half around the middle.  
_Good a place as any to start.  
_"Naruto, make sure they do not bite you!"  
_Thanks, Devark. Any more bad news you'd like to share with me?  
_Naruto kicked one lunging at him, and then he noticed a scar on the underbelly as it flew back. The scent of blood, spilled within the last five hours, came to him.  
_...That can't be good. _

No matter what Naruto did, he could not do what Devark did. His sword would not continue all the way through the beasts' bodies. He growled, frustrated, and performed a hand sign.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Fifteen shadow clones appeared in a circle around the wolves. They each unleashed a large ball of foxfire. When the light died and the smoke cleared, all there was where the clones and the wolves were was a large scorched crater.

Devark retrieved his helmet, having killed the last two, and looked at it intently. Kyuubi and Naruto inferred he was channeling chakra into it, because the dents and holes fixed and mended themselves until the helmet was back in perfect condition.

"That will be all of them for now. We need to get back to your village; they will not go near civilization."

(Back at the Leaf Village)

"I am Devark Lionslayer, Captain of the Guard of the Holy City. I wish to be enlisted in your military until such a time that my country is in the hands of Princess Lasha."

"Who?" asked Tsunade.

Lasha stepped forward and did a slight curtsy.

"I do not ask this to happen now," he continued. "Only after she has a year or two of combat training.

Tsunade contemplated this. "What exactly happened to--what was your country's name, anyways?"

"Trelief, the place where the Goddess Zekia first touched this world before breathing life into it. We were at war with the Ettarians, brutal people from the far north. His Highness the Prince left to aid on the front lines when words of foul creatures and demons aiding the Ettarians came to our ears. A month after he left, a small group of Ettarians successfully infiltrated the castle. Using the blood of a servant who stumbled upon them, they conducted a twisted ritual of summoning, bringing legions of the enemy into our midst. We were not prepared. His Highness the King, may he rest in peace, bade me leave with Princess Lasha, so that one day our land could be owned once more by our blood. I traveled to the south and came into these nations. After some inquiry, I was able to discover that--"

"That is well enough, Devark, I can be filled in from there. How do you plan to reattain your country with two people?"

"..." Devark could not find words to reply to this.

"How could you say that?!" protested Lasha. "He is offering his services to you, and you will have another ally after we win!"

"We may consider allowing the aid of our Shinobi, but that can be worked out at a later date. As for now, I need to know everything about these allies of the Ettarians, and the abilities of the Ettarians themselves."

"Of course. I need a pad of paper and a pen, if you would."

Tsunade fished these out of her desk and gave them to Devark.

Devark drew a wolf in four views on the first page, one for each side save the back and the bottom. He drew runes as well, with a key on the side explaining the significance of each one. The one on their head was for Intelligence. On their shoulders and hips were for Endurance and Strength. Physical size was represented by the rune on the back. He wrote, while explaining, that if one of these Shadow Wolves bit you, you would be susceptible to corruption and mutation from one of their demon masters. They could be killed just like normal wolves, but if the body was still whole it could be reanimated. If the heart was intact, it could be used to create another one--this was why they always traveled in even numbers. He also warned that even if you were killed after being bitten, your soul could not leave your body. You would be trapped until corrupted and reanimated.

He then drew a man with black wings. This was a demon. A note on the side labeled them as usually seven feet tall as well as masters of dark magics. They could disguise themselves as anything, but their eyes were always yellow with slitted pupils.

A sketch was made of a man, but pitch black with red eyes. He explained it as one bitten by the wolves, after corruption. They could only be killed by the purifying properties of fire. They possessed whatever abilities they had in normal life, making them especially dangerous.

"The Ettarians themselves have no special abilities, but they can use magic."

"Magic?"

Devark's faced contorted as he tried to find a way to explain magic.

Naruto had an idea. "Is it like this?" He used the Kage Bunshin.

"Yes, that would be magic."

"Well, around here it's called 'jutsu'."

"Very well then."  
"Well, Devark..." said Tsunade. "We will allow you to become a ninja--that's what we call soldiers here--and will give Lasha the best martial arts training possible. You understand that she will be getting no special treatment?"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

"Very well. She will begin as soon as possible. You, Devark, will be joining Naruto's team. They're short a member, and they need three for the Chunin Exams."

"The what?"

"It is a series of tests to see if you are ready to be promoted. They come twice a year, and the next is in two weeks. I suggest you begin to train."

* * *

Naruto, Kyuubi, and Devark entered the classroom. Devark was not wearing his armor (it would crush the chairs), but he did have it in a sealing scroll. Instead, he wore a white T-shirt and blue jeans.

After all the Genin had entered, Ibiki, who had been standing at the front of the room with Kurenai, spoke.

"Welcome to the Chuunin Exams--or should I say, Hell on Earth. For one hour, each of you will be trapped in a Genjutsu. Dispelling it is an automatic failure. You will be tortured and interrogated. For the morons in here who are thinking about quitting already, the pain isn't real. Even if it was, you'd have to live with it."

Kurenei spoke after Ibiki finished. "I will know exactly how you all fare. You will be tried, and tried hard. Remember, if a teammate fails, you all fail."

The genjutsu spread it's cloak of shadows over the room, and everybody was all alone.

The two Jounin waited. within a minute, three teams had failed. Several more were showing signs of weak-hearted teammates. Most had expressions of discomfort on, ranging from mild to extreme. Very few stood strong enough to seem as though they were simply sleeping with their eyes open.

(with Naruto)

Kyuubi was being held hostage. Her life was being threatened. They wanted to know the times for the guard shifts on the Konoha wall. Naruto refused to tell them. He was working at the rope covertly. A kunai was drawn against Kyuubi's cheek, drawing blood.

Oh. Someone was about to die.

The ropes snapped.

(with Kyuubi)

Kyuubi was relaxed. All they were putting on the line was her life--a small price to pay to protect the whereabouts of the Kitsune homeland. She enjoyed toying with them with illusions of her own. But they got sick of it, and began to beat her. One of them touched her breast and squeezed.

The illusion of her only having one tail faded, showing all five of her tails in all their glory.

The ropes snapped.

(with Devark)

Devark was beating his "captors" over the head with a piece of metal. They were all sitting on metal chairs and bound by steel cable. Lasha sat nearby, nursing the miniscule cut on her arm.

(back to reality, one hour later)

Twenty teams remained. Ibiki congratulated them on their success, pointing out a few cases where the actions of an individual were smart, stupid, or just downright hilarious. He looked at Devark as he said this.

(the second test--sorry for that being so crappy, but I didn't have much to work with)

Anko divided the group into two giant teams-ten teams per side, which makes thirty people per side. It was Capture the Flag, where the flag represented important documents, a person of importance, or somesuch. the Heaven team, which was the team Naruto was on, was supposed to recover the Flag, whereas the Earth team was supposed to destroy it. Naturally, the Earth team had the advantage-- they simply had to possess the Flag for five minutes, no matter where it was, to win. The Heaven team had to return it to their base. If your entire three-man team "died", your team was disqualified.

Devark had his armor on, and was doing something with his sword. Naruto asked him about it.

"I'm dulling it; I'd rather not slice half the opposition in half."

A large fireball exploded in the sky, signaling the start of the exam.  
The Heaven team conversed a strategy as they moved towards the center of the forest, where the flag was. (Not the forest of death.) They would do a full-out assault while a team of sneakier members would snag the flag and run back to base. Naruto's team, with the exception of Devark, was nominated for the latter part of the strategy. Devark was elected to lead the charge. After all, they reasoned, not much is getting through that armor of his.

They made as much noise as humanly possible while heading to the flag. This alerted the Earth team as to their presence--but, that was all part of the plan.

The two teams met each other in the Flag Clearing. With a mighty roar, the two large bodies of people collided around the flag.

The Heaven team clearly had an advantage. While their numbers were lesser, they had Devark, a target for anyone who could reach him. The man himself was not doing much other than soaking up the attacks. In fact, he couldn't even swing his sword for the close quarters, and danger of hitting his comrades. He settled with punching who he could.

Naruto and Kyuubi couldn't get the flag. Every time they grabbed at it, someone else picked it up. In the end, it was not necessary. The entire Earth time was obliterated. The Heaven team suffered casualties as well. There were but sixteen left.

Naruto sighed. That meant Prelims.

(Skipping the Prelims, skipping the month of training, on to the final rounds. Sorry about the massive amount of timeskips. I promise, one more and they're all over.)

They had all made it to the third round finals. Naruto was fighting an Iwa shinobi, Kyuubi another Konoha shinobi, and Devark a Snow Country shinobi.

The first fight involved none of them. Naruto was up next.

When he was on the arena floor, the shinobi grinned maliciously.

"The son of the Yellow Flash. I'll enjoy gutting you."

"You're welcome to try."

Iwa opened up with an attack that involved taking a large chunk of rock and kicking it. It flew at Naruto, who was barely able to dodge it. What he didn't expect, however, was the rock coming back and crashing into him from behind. The momentum caused Naruto to stick to the hunk of stone, which turned around and smashed into the ground, Naruto-side down. It came up and pummeled him again, and again, and again. Iwa laughed as he assumed Naruto would be dead. surprisingly, said Kitsune hanyou crawled out of the crater, looking to be barely alive.

"Back for more?"

Naruto blurred as he charged forward and rammed his fist into Iwa's gut. Blow after blow landed on him, leaving purpled bruises where Naruto made contact. He formed a Rasengan in his right hand and looked at the procter.

"It's over."

As if on cue, Naruto's opponent collapsed. Naruto was declared the winner.

Kyuubi was up next. Before the fight started, Naruto kissed her. "Good luck."

Kyuubi offered a smile in return for the statement.

The Konoha shinobi was shaking in fear. He knew all about Kyuubi's fearsome reputation.

The fight was started, and Kyuubi smiled sweetly at him. Then, he saw her change. No longer was she standing before him, but instead a grotesque abomination, stitched together from multiple corpses, its intestines hanging out. It lumbered towards him. The man's eyes widened as the stench of death and rot reached his nose. The monster raised a cleaver over his head. He screamed at the top of his lungs before Kyuubi knocked him out with a high kick to the temple.

_That was too easy, _she thought.

Finally it was Devark's turn. He took up a fighting stance with his sword and stared at the Snow ninja. The mentioned did not seem fazed.

"Begin!"

Devark charged to the ninja. A jutsu was performed by his nemesis, sending spikes of ice flying out of thin air.

Devark slid to a halt and muttered a few words. He slapped his hands to the ground, and a ten-foot tall and wide block of metal shot up from the ground. After it blocked the spikes, he threw it. The snow ninja expertly dodged it and performed his jutsu again. Devark was hit by several of them. Their incredible momentum flung him back and pinned him to the wall. His head faced down.

Kyuubi and Naruto gasped in shock. Was this how it ended for their friend? Bleeding to death in hopes of the round ending so he could be rushed to a hospital? Never being able to reclaim his country?

Lasha frowned from the stands. "That ninja is stupid."

Tenten, who had accompanied her, looked at Lasha like she was crazy. "What do you mean?"

"He thinks he defeated Devark. It will take much, much more than that to kill him."

The snow ninja stood over the suit of armor and laughed.

The procter sighed. "The match goes to--"

Suddenly, the ninja was overcast by a shadow. He turned around to see Devark in nothing but a sleeveless white shirt and tan pants. He held the block from before over his head, staring angrily at his enemy.

The helmet of the armor looked up, revealing it to be empty. The sword came up and was pointed at the other's stomach.

The procter, mouth regaining the ability to move, finished his sentence. "--Devark Lionslayer."

The cube of metal was discarded, and it sunk back into the ground. Devark laid his hands on the armor. As he used his magic, it was mended, just as his helmet was before. He used another spell to teleport back into it.

Tsunade and the other present Kages stood. "Those who have fought have proved their skill. All who won are promoted to the rank of Chuunin."

* * *

**Woohoo! I finally finished it! It took me a few months, but it got done!**

**I'd like to point out a difference between Magic and Jutsu. Magic does not require hand signs. In some cases, it requires phrases to be spoken (Such as when Devark spoke to teleport out of his armor and, even though it was offscreen, again to keep it animated), and in others it simply requires the channeling of magical energy (such as when he mends his armor and summoned that block of metal).**

**Also, Lasha was originally a six-year-old who would enroll in the academy. I changed that. If you see any inconsistencies, please, let me know so I can fix it. She will also begin to play a larger roll in the story after the two-year timeskip. Which happens next chapter. I promise, that is the last major timeskip that will happen. I will also try to work in more fluff. It's a bit difficult, seeing as I changed the plot a ton.**

**Please review!**


	7. Chapter 3: Fuel for the Fire

**OH MY GOSH, I'M BACK! Lol hi everyone! Miss me? I doubt it, you're probably all just sticking around and pretending to like my story out of mercy, lol. Anywhoo, here's the next chapter for those of you who actually think I know what I'm doing. ::snicker:: I think I might be high on life. (in the background, a girl's voice comes) I'm pretty sure you can get suspended for that.**

* * *

(Two years later)

Naruto and Kyuubi entered the Hokage's office. Inside was, of course, Tsunade herself, as well as a man dressed in very expensive clothing.

"You called for us?" asked Naruto.

"Yes, I did. I have been speaking to the Daimyo about reclaiming Trelief..."

Naruto looked excited. "Yeah? And?"

"...the Daimyo has sent me this messenger. He refuses to send any soldiers to aid us."

"What?!" exclaimed Kyuubi. "What do you mean, he refuses?"

The messenger had a smug look on his face. "The Daimyo says that it would be much easier to simply wait for the dethroned princess to fail to reclaim it and then take it for ourselves. Imagine! If it is half as large as we are told, we could double the size of our nation!"

The two kitsune looked at him incredulously. "That land isn't ours to take!" they said.

Tsunade looked at the messenger. "...Are you such a fool that you will tell you plans to the ones who may oppose you?"

He laughed. "You cannot stop the Daimyo." he left the room without another word.

Naruto was fuming. "What a bastard!"

Shizune entered the room. "Devark is here, and he wants to speak to you, Lady Tsunade. Shall I send him in?"

Tsunade sighed. "He's not going to like this," she muttered to herself. "Yes, send him in," she said, speaking to Shizune.

The Treliefan Captain of the Guard's approach was heralded by the 'CLANK....CLANK...CLANK' of his plate armor. He entered the office.

"Lady Hokage," he said in his usual respectful tone, "thank you for seeing me. I was hoping to speak to you about-"

"I know," Tsunade interrupted, "and I'm sorry. It isn't going to happen. We can't get any soldiers."

Devark's face fell. "That isn't good."

"It only gets worse. The Daimyo intends to take Trelief over for himself."

With a cry of protest, Devark's face turned to one of utter horror. "Surely you are playing a cruel, cruel joke on me!"

Naruto put a comforting hand on Devark's shoulderguard. "We'll figure something out."

Devark turned around and left the room.

The four remaining occupants watched the doorway.  
"If I know Devark," said Kyuubi, "He's about to do something stupid."

* * *

Devark went back into the apartment that he had been staying in and went to the bedroom. He balled his hands into fists and punched through the wall right above his bed. Pulling on the drywall, he broke it off. Inside was a two handed sword much like his own. He pulled it out. During his stay in Konoha, with the pay he earned from doing missions, he slowly put this weapon together. The metal of the blade was pure white, and it had a gold hilt. The pommel was shaped into Zekia's Fang, a canine tooth-shaped symbol. Into it he channeled his magic. Runes imprinted themselves in the blade and it shone yellow for a moment before going back to its normal color. Devark wrapped a cloth around the hilt and replaced his sword with the newly enchanted blade. Into the wall he placed his old weapon. With a simple word, the wall was reassembled.

When Devark turned around, Lasha was standing there, looking at him expectantly.

"Well? What did Lady Tsunade say?"

Devark quickly weighed his options. "She's working it out with the Daimyo now," he lied. "We'll know tomorrow."

"You're lying to me."

"My Lady, I am offended that-"

"No, -I- am offended that you would lie to me, even after I called you out on it. What did she say?"

"..."  
"Devark, I'm waiting."

"...We have been refused soldiers. The Daimyo wishes to take Trelief for himself after we make our attempt with whatever forces we muster."

Lasha's eyes widened. "Tell me you still lie. Please, Devark, tell me this!"

The twenty-year-old man shook his head. "I am speaking only the truth, Princess."

Lasha stood perfectly still for a moment before slowly progressing into a crying fit. Devark stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. It didn't help; the armor covering his body was cold and hard, reminding only of the bitter reality of the situation. Lasha found no comfort.

"We will find a way, Princess. Since Creation we have owned that land. It will take more than a Pit of demons and a nation of soldiers to keep us from taking it back."

"Oh, be quiet, Devark!"

He instantly shut his mouth.

Lasha continued on. "You're the Captain of the Guard; you're supposed to be a master strategist and a fighter with no peer, but not even you can turn this around! We number two people. TWO. Two people cannot take on a Pit and a country!" She pushed at him, and he let go over her. "It's done, Devark. Trelief is going to die with us. All that will be there is an extension of the demon's Pit or a colony of usurpers. You might as well accept that fact." With that Lasha left the room. Angry tears ran in rivers down her face.

"...You might think it's over, Princess," whispered Devark, taking his helmet off his bed and putting it on, "but we can still win. The Guard will rise from Lyr to bring Trelief from the ashes. With them that number two hundred and the remnants of the Army, we will win. Honor takes a back seat; the guerrilla tactics of the Ettarians and deceptive tactics will win us our country back." He put a hand on the nose of the lion's maw of his helm and pulled down. With magic the metal bent down until it's mouth was shut and all that showed of Devark's face was his eyes.

"I will be back when the Daimyou attacks Trelief and I have brought our army back to life. I shall take our country back. This I swear; should I fail, then Zekia sentence me to the afterlife of an oath-breaker."

* * *

**Yes, it was a dreaded filler chapter. Soon, the flames of war shall burn over Trelief once more. Naruto and Kyuubi will retake the front seat of this story and we shall see the true character of all those who enter the fray.**

**Btw, a Pit is basically a country for Demons.**

**Review please!**


	8. Author's Note: Read Tsumeki-chan!

**HOLY CRAP I'M ALIVE! Haha. Bet you're all wondering where I've been. Well, that's not important. **

**College. I blame college, it's college's fault I haven't updated.**

**Anyways. This story is discontinued. But, before any of you get all sad (though you probably figured that much anyways) I'm happy to announce that I'm launching a reboot of Kyuubi-chan under the name Tsumeki-chan. It might have already pinged off of your author alerts, if you have one on me. You'll find the link to the story on my profile, as usual. Please, if you liked this story, I ask you to go and read the other one (and reviews are nice, too). Now, with Tsumeki-chan, I'm going to make a few promises.**

**I promise that I will carry Tsumeki-chan through until it is finished.**

**I promise to update as regularly as possible. I can't give you a time limit, because of my erratic schedule, but I will be working.**

**I promise to try and maintain the highest quality of work as possible. **

**I promise that, when I do update, I will do my best to keep my chapters at 4,000 words or better. **

**I promise that any constructive criticism offered by you, the readers, in reviews will be considered. If your ideas or thoughts are implemented, I will do my best to give you a shout out in the next chapter I update.**

**And that's that. Go read Tsumeki-chan, please. It's much better quality than Kyuubi-chan.**


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